Interchangeable coil stand



Jan. 14, 1947. W, w. WILSON INTERCHANGEABLE COIL STAND 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June` 28', 1945 PIE- /57- ff) 5@ y@ a ya j@ f [Weiz-Zai'.- WMM/W /4/ MM50/V,

Jan. 14,1947.` ww, WILSON l 2,414,130

INTERCHANGEABLE COIL STAND Filed June 28, 1945 s sheets-shea 2 if www Jan. 14, 1947. w. w. wlLsoN INTERCHANGEABLE 'COIL STAND Filed June 28, 1945 s sheets-sheet s Parenteel. 14, 1,947

PFICE g mTERCHANGaAnLE con. STAND- t William W. Wilson, Dravosburg, Pa. Application June 2s. 194s, serial No. soaozs i (ci. zas-47) 8 Claims.

relates to an improved stand for an annealing The present invention interchangeable coil furnace.

Experience shows that there are inherent defects in coil stand-s of conventional design, such as the cracking of the thin steel plate' supporting the refractory pedestaLfthus permitting leakage of the deoxidizing gas constituting the annealing'l .furnace base.

A further object is vto reduce maintenance costs and to cut down operating delays dueto main'- l tenance requirements of prior types of coil stands.

The invention will be fully apparent from considex'ation of the following detailed description and the appended claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawing-s, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section on a small scale,

through an annealing furnace embodying the` invention. e l y `Figure 2 is a plan of Figure'l, with the outer cover removed and showing a plurality of removable interchangeable stands adapted to receive the coiled product to be heated.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail showing the construction of the interchangeable coil stand and its relation to the permanent foundation of the furnace.

Figure 4 is a detail planview of an interchange-l able coil stand.

Figure 5 is a view illustrative of lifting means for interchanging the coil stands.

Referring in detail to the drawings, reference coil stands adapted to be interchangeably seated in recesses 9 of the refractory base I0 which is a ilxed part of an annealing furnace structure including marginal channels l2 and floor beams I4 which support a thin steel oor plate I8. The door beams I4 rest on a suitable concrete foundation I8 having a, chamber 28 formed therein so as to permit access tothe under side of the base I8. The base l0 is surrounded on its exterior by a marginal channel frame 22, and the space between the channel 22 and the marginal floor beam I2 is adapted to contain a body of sand so as to form a `,sand seal with a projecting -numerals 8 represent a plurality dof removable member 24 secured to a frame member 28 carried at the bottom of an outer cover indicated as a whole at 28. The outer cover is adaptedto contain suitable heating means of conventional type, and it is removable by means vof an overhead -crane so as to permit the spotting of a-plurality of interchangeable portable bases or stands 8 and loading of coils on such bases. Each of the interchangeable bases 8 is adapted to receive a stack of coils C to ybe annealed and respective inner covers 30 are provided, adapted `to yenclose the coils supported by each removable stand 8.

Heretofore, annealing furnaces of the type to which the claimed invention relates did not have the removable stands. and considerable time was lost between charges to clean the fixed base prior to placing a new batch ot" coils to be annealed in the furnace. By having the stands 8 in the Vform of separate interchangeable units, a, great saving occurs, since a number/of spares can always -be kept on hand and thus when a given stand burns out, or otherwise `becomes disabled after repeated use, it is merely necessary to remove the previously 'used-interchangeable standv and vto substitutea fresh clean one, thus greatly minimizing the out-of-service time of the furnace, thereby'eftecting an important operating economy,

An inherent defect in prior constructions of coi1 annealing furnaces was that the thin steel floor plate corresponding to that shown. in I6 in the drawings, frequently became cracked. This resulted in damage to the refractory flooring of the base and permitted leakage of the deoxidizing gas such as is conventionally charged to the interior of the inner covers 30.' This defect is overcome by my improved constructionby the v provision ofa, heavy steel bottom plate 32for supporting the main pedestal-like refractory .body

34 of the interchangeable stand. This heavy base plate 32 is surrounded' by an annular shell 36 which is weldedor otherwise secured thereto.

i Each porta-ble stand 8 includes a central hollow casing 38 having an annular flange 40 bolted or otherwise secured to the heavy base plate 82. The hollow casing 38 forms a support for fan mechanism includinghousings 42, fan motor 44 and fan impeller 48.

Mounted on top of the refractory lpedestal 34 is a heavy steel stool 48 havinga central opening 50 therein to accommodate the fan mechanism. The stool 48 is formed with a plurality of upstanding ribs 52 on top of which rests a heavy steel disc 84 having a central opening therein to accommodate the fan impeller. The bottomv most coil of strip steel to be annealed restal serve two functions,

an old stand, after a given jtion, or a fresh stand about i 3 directly on the disc 54, and a number of coils are superposed one over another as shown, with steel separator plates 53 between them, these plates having openings 60 therein of approximately the same sine as the central eye or opening i2 of the steel coil so as to permit the free passage of gas through each stack of coils C enclosed by each inner cover 30. Each portable stand carries a pipe i4 with a coupling portion Ii adapted to be detachably, connected with a suitable source o'f deoxidizing gas. At the upper end of each pipe 64 is an elbow 68having an outlet nozzle 1li for laterally through the space between certain of the bottom stand ribs 52, as shown.` The deoxidirecting the deoxidizing gas dizlng gas thus introduced is adapted to be Vcircul lated through the center of the several coils C andaround the exterior thereof by means of the fan impeller 46. Penetrating the refractory pedestal body 34 of each stand is a pair of spaced diametrically disposed sleeves or tubes 12 which one being to provide for the entrance of thermocouples and the other being to facilitate the spotting and vremoving of the portable bases by means of suitable overhead lifting tackle. Such lifting tackle is shown in Figure 5, and includes a yoke 14 having an eye 16 adapted to be engaged by a crane hook or other suitable traveling hoist. Depending from the yoke is a pair of'rods 18 pivotally secured to the yoke by pins 80. The space between the rods 18 corresponds to the diametric spacing between the tubes 12; and in order to lift and remove the portable stand so as to interchange a new for stack of annealed coils has been unloaded, it is merely necessary to spot the 'rod 18 over the sleeves 12 and then pass said rods 18 down through the sleeves and secure collars 82 and holding nuts 84 t0 the depending rods.

Figure 5 in full lines shows the lifting tackle. and in dotted lines indicates an interchangeable stand unit in the act of being transported. The dotted showing may be regarded either as a used stand being transported to a cleaning stato be installed on the fixed base to receive a new batch of coils to be annealed.

The upwardly extended central portion 34* of the refractory pedestal, in coaction with the upwardly projecting portion t6 of the fixed base, forms a circular pocket or depression 88 adapted to receive a body of sand such as indicated at 90. The lower portion 92 of the inner cover 30 enters the sand and rests on a metal ring 94 mounted on the outer annular flange portion 96 of the refractory pedestal, thus making a substantially gastight seal. Surrounding the annular space between the outer wall of the flange 98 and the bottom portion of the inner wall of the pocket 88 it is desirable to place a body of removable filling material 98 such as magnesia, so as to prevent leakage.'

I"for each furnace base. The construction and arrangement of theinterchangeable stand shown with particular respect to the provision of the f fheavy steel bottom plate 32 and shell 36 encirclingthe refractory pedestal 34 eliminates crackin'g 'of the furnace base and wasteful leakage of ".deoxidizing gas such as frequently occurred in prior art constructions. While I have shown and described in considerable detail an embodiment of the invention which an actual reduction to practice has demonstrated is highly desirable, it is not to be construed that I- am limited thereto, since various modifications and substitutionsof equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art Without departure-from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An apparatus for annealing coiled material, comprising a fixed supporting frame having a refractory body thereon formed with a recessed portion andan interchangeable coil stand adapted to be engaged and disengaged from said recessed portion, said stand having means incorporated therein for engagement with lifting tackle adapted to transport it to and from said recessed portion.

2. An apparatus for annealing coiled material, comprising a fixed supporting frame having a plurality of beams supporting a sheet metal floor, a refractory body on said noor ha'ving a recessed portion, and an interchangeable coil standseated within the recessed body on said floor, said stand comprising a heavy steel bottom plate carrying a 'refractory pedestal supporting a metal stool formed with a plurality of upstanding ribs jointly supporting an apertured disc on which the coils to be annealed are adapted to be stacked.

3. An apparatus for annealing coiled material, comprising a fixed supporting Vframe having a plurality of beams supporting a sheet metal floor, a refractory body on said floor having a recessed portion, and an interchangeable stand seated within the recessed body on said floor, said stand comprising a heavy steel bottom plate carrying a refractory pedestal supporting a metal stool formed with a plurality of upstanding ribs jointly supporting an apertured disc on which the coils to be annealed are adapted to be stacked said bottom plate, said refractory pedestal, and said stool being pierced by a pair of tubular members adapted to be engaged with depending membersl of lifting tackle for transporting said stand.

4. An apparatus for annealing coiled material. comprising a'ilxed supporting frame having a plurality of beams supporting a sheet metal f loo a refractory body on said floor having a recessed portion, and an interchangeable stand seated within the recessed body on said floor, said stand comprising a heavy steel bottom plate carrying a refractory pedestal supporting a metal stool formed with a plurality of upstanding ribs jointly supporting an apertured metal disc on which the coils to be annealed are adapted to be stacked, a hollow metal casing secured' to said bottom plate at the central region thereof extending through said refractory pedestal, a cover adapted to rest on said stand, and fan mechanism carried by said casing for circulating a gas within said cover around and through the center of coils of steel strip material adapted to be supported on said disc. A

5. An apparatus for annealing coiled material, comprising a fixed supporting frame having a plurality of beams supporting a sheet metal floor, a refractory body on said floor having at least one recessed portion, and an interchangeable stand seated within the recessed portion, said stand comprising ya heavy steel bottom plate cariying a refractory pedestal supporting a metal stool formed with a plurality of upstanding ribs jointly supporting an apertured disc on which the coils to be annealed are adapted to be stacked, a hollow metal casing secured to said bottom plate atthe central region thereof, extending through .surrounding the lower part of said Vpedestal and secured to said bottom plate, the stand being provided with a. deoxdizing gas connection adapted to discharge gasv between certain of said ribs, the upper part of said pedestal and the recessed portion of said refractory body jointly defining a cavity for containing sealing sand, and a body of removable sealing material adapted to make `a gasftight closure between said annular shell 10 and the inner wall of the recessed portion of said refractory body.

6. An apparatus for annealing coiled material, comprising a fixed support formed with a recessed portion and an interchangeable coil stand adapted to be engaged and disengaged from said recessed portion, said stand having means for engagement with lifting tackle adapted to transport it to and from said recessed portion.

WILLIAM W. WILSON. 

